This show was webcast via LivePhish and featured the Phish debut of On the Road Again. Trey sang the verses of Fee through a megaphone. Bathtub Gin contained DEG teases from Trey. Chalk Dust was unfinished and contained Manteca teases from Trey and Page. Light included teases of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover from Fish.

Show Reviews

I will offer a different perspective on this show (my 24th) than the other reviewers, as I thought it was one of the rockiest, least-cohesive shows I have seen Phish play. Disclaimer - I still had a great time, but I feel I have something new to offer here, so I will allow my critic side to go nuts in the following review.

It all started off so well - Buried Alive gets the energy going immediately and is followed by a solid Bag and one of the best Wolfman's I have seen live. It just rocked and swanked and got the whole stadium moving before building into some incredible peaks. At this point, I thought they were on fire and we were in for a huge show, but unfortunately that would turn out to be the highlight of the entire evening.

Yarmouth Road immediately killed all momentum and energy that had been building, like a giant reggae-reset-button. This song could very well turn out to be great eventually, but their readings are still very flat, lifeless, and searching IMO. Trey delivers some nice licks that hint towards a promising future, but last night it was deflating and empty.
Fee was fine but did nothing to re-engage the audience and I continued to stand there listlessly along with 20,000 other people.

Halfway To The Moon is one of my favorite tunes, but where Trey would normally tear it up with those flowing, distinct melodies, he seemed to forget all his usual riffs or just be trying something different with the song. In any case, he held back the entire time, especially during the solo portion where he played absolutely nothing of note. He usually builds this song into a Taste-like peak (see the version from Bill Graham if you don't know what I am talking about), but tonight the tune was vapid. Huge disappointment for me and continued the trend of a lifeless set.

The Wedge was fine but, again, not what was called for when the set was floundering and in need of a giant dose of energy. Trey continued this hold-back-and-let-the-others-shine strategy he was on, which is great in appropriate doses, but we all have to be honest here: he is the band leader and the creator of the primary melodies. He needs to drop some sick riffs in key moments for songs to come to life and he just refused to do so.

Haley's Comet was a great call and definitely energized, but that is until it was ruthlessly ripcorded a few measures before the composed part of the song by Trey - a horrible portent of what would become the theme of Set II.
At least it was ripcorded for a Gin, which did in fact rage. The amount that Gin raged actually just upset me, though, because it was evidence that Trey was indeed in the house and was intentionally sandbagging. Great full band interplay, regardless, and I'll tip my hat to the awesome Page work here. Fish also seemed like he was heating up (more foreshadowing of Set II). This one finally got people moving again after about 40 minutes of listless shuffling.

And then standard versions of Bouncing and Mound followed. If this set had been flowing normally. These would have been solid choices to control the dynamics and set up a scorching Antelope closer - and scorching it was, hot damn! After everything I had just described, however, these songs just felt like more filler in a set chalk-full of filler. Again, sorry to sound so negative, but these are my thoughts. That Antelope was really sick, though. Take that, me.

Set II began on a high note with a cohesive, groove-driven take on Chalkdust that was allowed to stretch out by the band. The audience was captivated and the band was really listening to each other as the groove kept shifting, separating, and coming back together. Trey summoned the Woos with some start/stop action at the end. Let me pause and make a statement: what I look for at the end of jammed-out second set songs is either a smooth segue or a tight ending where Phish manages to stick the landing after flying high into the clouds. While this 'Dust was glorious, the end was neither of those things. It seemed like Trey had a chance to deliver a legitimate segue into Light for the first time ever, as he could have gone right into the opening chords at the end of the final Woo. This was not to be, though, as the band let the final Woo hang for several ripe seconds before Trey finally decided it was going to be Light after all. This may sound like a minor complaint, but this sort of awkward pause pulls me out of the flow and the audience is left wondering. Overall, though, this was a great version and delivered some much needed redemption after Set I.

I don't remember much of Light, which can't be a good sign, so I will simply stop there - it was fine but nothing special, especially when you remember the glory and cohesion of last year's Light at this same venue. It is insanity to expect another Light of that magnitude, but maybe, for that reason, Phish should maybe have left the tune on the shelf this time to avoid the inevitable comparison.

Still, Set II was going very well at this point and held the promise of much more awesome to come. Unfortunately, the awkward segue from Light > 46 Days would set the tone for the rest of the evening. During the Light jam, coming out of a natural lull, Mike started up a really interesting repeating riff that meshed well with the Fish rhythm. Trey seemed like he was getting ready to join in, but instead started playing the intro chords to 46 days in the most hamfisted, obtrusive way possible. In an improv group, you have to say "yes" to this sort of transition, but that doesn't make it palatable. The other three stopped what they were doing and joined in on 46 days, but I felt like Mike and Fish shared my disgust with the maneuver.

Whatever, though, its 46 days! I love this tune and it always brings the fire, so I was excited nonetheless. Unfortunately, here begins a long series of ridiculous Trey flubs, almost like he was having a series of senior moments. The song was going fine, which is to say it was raging, when they re-entered the lyrics that build to the final rock peak extravaganza. Trey is singing "46 Days! 46 Days! 46 DAYS! 46 DAYS!!!" which normally builds into the first peak as the full band drops a giant energy bomb on the final "DAAAAAAAYS!!!!" This time, Trey forgot where they were in the song or maybe was trying to do something clever and he kept singing "46 Days," completely whiffing on the re-entry into the jam. The rest of the band tried to go into it anyway, but it doesn't work without the guitar screaming so it just all fell apart. Trey probably could have salvaged this by building up the vocals again and peaking at the next natural point, however he seemed to realize his mistake and just went right back into the guitar wail without any kind of peak whatsoever. What followed was sort of like a normal 46 days build, but the entire band had disconnected after that hiccup and the whole thing felt disjointed. There were no full-band-plus-white-light peak moments, which is what 46 days is meant to do, and the whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth. Furthermore, I don't think the band reconnected until 2001, some 4 songs later.

The parade of baffling whiffs continued with Steam, again one of my favorite tunes. Trey just straight-up skips a line in the second or third verse and says "Steam" a full measure or two early. Page is paying attention enough to hit the steam-synth noise, as does whoever is controlling the fog machine, but then we are left with an awkward instrumental section before the next verse to make up for the missed time. This exact same thing then happens AGAIN in the next verse, resulting in the exact same awkward moment and everyone looking over at Trey like he had lost his mind. He seemed to pick up on this and apparently decided Steam was beyond saving, so he killed the song approximately 4 measures into the jam with an admittedly-slick segue into Free by cluing Fish in on the switch and hitting the Free opening chord on the one.

It was hard to enjoy this Free for several reasons. First, we have the disappointment of a Steam that was not delivered, evoking the memory of a similarly-disappointing 'Moon from Set I. Second, we have the cumulative bad taste of several aborted songs. Third, we have the well-known fact that Free is not what it used to be. It is basically impossible for me to hear Free without remembering how sick the song used to get in the '90s, as I am sure many fans can understand. This Free was short and perfunctory, with another jam that called for Trey fireworks and got chord-work for the entire jam instead. Again, I am all for Trey stepping back and let the other three, especially Page, shine, but he needs to remember that his firey guitar is what makes the band truly sing.

After about 16 bars of boredom we drop into Joy. Believe me when I say that I have never been this excited for Joy, as Free was going nowhere (apparently) and Joy seemed impossible to botch as badly as the last several songs. As I hoped, this was probably the best version of Joy that I have seen, with a really nice solo from Trey that reminded me that he was indeed able to play notes on his guitar in a sequence that was pleasing and was just refusing to do so. I think this song and its very rigid structure served to get the band back in tune with each other and set up a return to form in 2001.

This 2001 wasn't special in any way (see the awesome Smooth Criminal-infused version from the Gorge), but it did rage and was exactly what the doctor ordered. I was reminded of the first set flow when the entire stadium seemed to come back to life after standing around for 45 minutes of nonsense. Dick's turned into the full-on-dance-party that we all know it can be, which perfectly set up an oddly-placed though very welcome Tweezer.

Tweezer found the band totally hooked-up again, and the dance groove that 2001 established continued to drive the venue. Everyone was raging as Tweezer found a funky, laid-back groove. It seemed like they could have kept that groove going forever, but, after a very short jam (seeing a pattern here?), Trey jumped ship for Number Line.

Number line is probably my least favorite tune in the modern Phish catalog (with the exception of some of the really new songs that are still developing like Yarmoth Road and Say Something). In a strange twist of fate, however, this version was stellar and really connected with me and, I believe, the rest of the audience. Trey attacked the jam portion with vigor and made up for the lack of notes played in the previous two hours with a fanatical string of awesome licks. His playing on this tune reminded me of his chops from the '90s and was decidedly Phishy. I could tell by the fervor of this attack that this was a Number Line closer, and a closer it was as they built it to a really nice peak before closing with the standard feedback-laced rock show ending.

Quick note: Phish crowds have grown extremely complacent regarding the encore these days. The amount of applause at the end of this show, regardless of quality, was embarrassing. If you want them to come back for an encore, you should let them know with thunderous clapping. Also, unlike most other times, this is the perfect moment to Woo your heart out.

Anyway, the On The Road Again encore was really great and clearly a personal statement by the band about how much fun they are having playing music and being best friends these days. It was a very well played version and an unexpected debut that all in attendance will remember forever. Tweeprise was, as always, amazing and really brought the fire. It's easy to forget a rocky show like this one when they close on Tweeprise (maybe that was the point? Tweezer did seem like it came out of left-field at the end of Set II).

To summarize, this was one of the least-cohesive, flubbiest, Trey-lacking shows I have ever seen, but it did have some really great highlights. Should you download this show? I would say probably not, though, if you are a big Wolfman's fan, it might be worth the price of admission alone. I would say the same thing for Chalkdust, but that would be more about if you are a fan of cohesive jamming with lots of listening and band-interplay.

1st night felt like Church was in session, Phish-style. Last night felt like straight up sex and one has to ask the following question if allowed the latitude/altitude to do so under the homo-eroticism under which any Dick's run operates under nowadays: How many times can Trey cum in one single evening? By my count, apparently twice in the first set (Gin and a WTF! Antelope that was just straight up lust). The build-up/release portion was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed among PhishHeads and the look of pure unadulterated joy in my friends faces at the beginning of intermission is one that I'll soon not forget...:-wink/wink!

The 2nd set was just one big 'ole goo-fest, starting with the never-ending Chalk Dust Torture (nothing torturous 'bout it, simply some straight-up metallic shredding from the four guys combined onstage), then cumming again in a Light where they were rode the stallion hard, shot a musical load again then re-upped for a blistering 46 Days where the entire audience saddled in for another money shot. Then the sex moved into the sauna room courtesy of Steam, how appropriate considering how wet and sticky I felt from all the lack of foreplay proper, LOL! Trey and Company was even kind enough to insert a cigarette break, courtesy of Free (cartharic in nature) and Joy (where I finally released my tears of joy) before reloading for the final pushes (the perfect segue into 2001, the unexpected turning over for them during Tweezer) and a final yet loving time in the musical sack with my Birthday present all wrapped up as they reminded me that I had not gotten a year older during Number Line, only a year better...

...as I traveled back On The Road (of Life) Again, another serious Phish bust-out that had me seriously laughing in disbelief that they could out-top the previous night's Easy To Slip. Then, amazingly yet climatically-speaking, the final triumphant splash of the Reprise cinematically splashing the rest of the musical goo all over the musical screen. Then it was time for THE cigarette break as 23 or so thousand or so shuffled out of Dicks...:-evil grin...hopefully to wash away the physical evidence of another musical hosing that could only be delivered by Trey and company.

To tell you that I had the 2nd greatest birthday party of my life would be to shortchange the night. To tell you that I am blessed to spew this hyperbole in print out this morning would be doing inadequate justice to the moment for the 2nd year in a row. 8/31. Another year younger if you count Backwards. 8/31. So much better having Phish and my Phamily of Phriends in my life. Because I know that when all is said and done that they just want me to be Happy. Happy Birthday to me.

Yea, Tweezer was short.. But like Kansas City and Charlotte, it was still developed perfectly and eminently satisfying. A thunderous dark groove with beams of light burning through it. Pretty average short Tweezer, but placed well past the point in a show where you can legitimately expect much more.

But hey, it's a 12 minute Tweezer, so people are going to complain no matter how excellent it was. Pretty

The 3rd sub-10 minute Light in the last 10 was nowhere near as good as the Gorge version. I thought they were intentionally playing it in a different key at first, but apparently not lol. They never really got back on track but it was Light so you could still slice out a few minutes of tightly knotted off kilter improv if you wanted to.

46 Days crushed for being 5 minutes. Steam was ok, Free seemed a little different.

I'm fairly certain that was the best Chalkdust I have ever heard. There are some contenders. Camden 99, Camden 2010, Dicks 2012, IT, 7/25/97. Thought the jam did a great job of moving from segment to segment without messing around and without anything jarring.

3.0 Greatness to a tee. The best of all worlds.

In 6 weeks, Phish has made me go back and explore best ever status 4 times. And all4 landed in my top 10 of all time for the Song. And we are talking longterm heavy hitter centerpiece songs here. That's impressive! ( MPP Stash, Toronto DWD, Tahoe Tweezer, Dick Dust)

Fun show with about 40 great minutes between Chalkdust and parts of Light.Tweezer and Gin

Is nobody going to make note of the "50 ways to leave your lover" tease during the Light jam?

It happens about halfway through the jam when things start to quiet down a bit and Fishman starts playing it on the drums. Impossible to miss. Then Trey joins in with the riff. It's short, but totally blatant.

Buried Alive surprise opener, always welcome. ACDC and Wolfmans have appeared together in sets all summer so no big surprises after Buried at the top. Fee was very cool to hear, with a nice little segue into Halfway. The Gin was potent and Antelope raged hard enough to snap back wash after wash. Another meaty, sprawling first set similar to night 1. Maybe nothing totally mindblowing but a very enjoyable ride. on to...

Chalkdusted.

Set 2 began with a top shelf version of Chalkdust, stretching out past 20 minutes and jamming into some very cool places before ending up with the Wooo chorus. I think Trey is the only one who still wants to do the "whoos" however (kinda funny). Chalkdust, unlike everything that followed after it, did take its time and meander outward into type 2 land. Everything you want for a set 2 opener...

except the melty jamming was over with for the night.

Light had a funny moment at the beginning with Trey beginning to sing in the wrong key, and then cracked up as he and the others realized it was off. After righting the ship, Trey seemed determined to shred as hard as possible, making this another short and sweet version similar to other times played so far this summer. Light has not yet been the Jam Launching Pad in 2013 that it was in 2012, which is fine. Just different.

I will have to disagree with a previous reviewer and say that the rest of the second set (minus Joy) felt sped up. Light> 46 Days > Steam > Free ... the band seemed to be in a full sprint. Not that that's bad, but following that resplendent Chalkdust, it was change of pace to be sure.

Tweezer's next appearance after Tahoe was (unexpectedly to me) late in this set, and I hoped we would head back out into Chalkdust Land perhaps. Not on this night though, as the Tweez took on more of the straight ahead rocker vibe that had been in play since Light.

Nice and fitting Willie bustout for the encore...it has been gratifying to see how much fun the band members are having during shows...just so cool after all these years!

also worth mentioning
Kuroda Porn has been exceptional at Dicks, both nights = really eye popping stuff. Either I wasnt paying attention earlier in the summer or he has found his groove with the new lighting rig. A+ for CK5

The first set was more structured and completed than the second. Phish.net notes indicate that Chalkdust was the only unfinished song but it seemed like Light was pretty unfinished, as well as Steam and Tweezer. In fact, that could have been the shortest Tweezer in recent history. Nonetheless, I loved this show. The music flowed beautifully from beginning to end with only a few minor hiccups along the way (ie: Free's vocals were a bit out of tune as they sometimes are).

After the Icculus show I was wondering what on earth they would pull off . It seemed they created a deep (thank you Mr. Gordon) in the pocket show that took its time throughout. The whole show seemed to be in a sort of half-time, which made for a stellar 1/2 way to the Moon. Yarmouth Road is a work in progress, always progressing. Usually I can take or leave a Bouncing but it fit right in with the flow on this night.

Fishman was on his game in serious fashion. Drumming, of course, and his vocals shined in all the right places (46 Days). The people I was watching with don't really agree with me; they thought there were more rough spots than not. I found them snoozing on the couch half way through the second set. Too bad for them that they missed the Willie Nelson debut with everyone (BUT FISHMAN, come on!!!!!!) telling us what they most love to do. Making music with my friends; Beautiful and Lovely.

How only a few people have reviewed this show is mind blowing to me. 1st all the way thru the encore is incredible to me. Look at it and say to yourself I dunno if i would have missed seeing this show. You can't! Sadly I only couch toured for the Dicks Shows. Although my buddy a fellow phish.net member did not. According to him, several regular show goers agreed this was one of the, if not thee, best show they have seen.

I'm going to go ahead and write this out for you all again one more time.

Solid Wolfman's and Fee. Growing super found of Halfway to the moon. Sick Wedge. Bangin Gin. Bad Ass Antelope!!! I could go on about every one of these songs, but.....this second set is a mind melting blunder bust of sickness. If I could dream up a perfect second setlist this would be it. I COULD NOT believe the Chalk Dust-Light-46 Days-Steam-Free-Joy-2001-Tweezer. Better than sex? Going on the record, "Without A Doubt." I, as well as anyone could listen to this show over and over again in any situation. Beach, Bed, Car Drive, Party, Reunion, I dont give a F$%& this show is the tops!!!

46 Days he definitely skips the big note, but it was more interesting than your average jam less 46 Daya because of it. Thought it was acquitted nicely with Fish screeching.

Gotta say, I don't hear Trey missing whole lines and just saying"steam" once, much less twice.

He seems to take his head away from the mic during the last line, but he still definitely says the line.

I get the Free disappointment, but only because it hints at being the first Free to leave its structure in forever. A solid 90% of versions from the 90s were about as improvisational as your average Character Zero though.

Halleys ends where Halleys always ends. No ripcord to be found unless you're the type to assume its a ripcord whenever a song that's standard 80% of the time doesn't have a jam. I guess that's a rational view, as everyone holds it about Roses despite Roses going type II less often than Number Line or Kill Devil Falls or Mango Song or Fee.

Halfway was Halfway. It wasnt the incendiary BGA version, but there isn't anything wrong with it. Reminds me of every other version besides Bill Graham.

Oh well. Some people think Chalkdust going into an amazing jam and not having an ending is "weird" I guess I just need to accept that people have different ideas.

I agree though, it was a sloppy show for 3.0. This band is usually way tighter than they were in the late 90s, and last reminded me of 99 in the amount of confusion coming from the stage.

I just think of it like, the vast majority of Phish shows don't have anything as good as that Chalkdust. Everything is icing around something that life affirming.

My birthday. Although not a big hoser imo, it was really fun. I'm not a big Numberline fan but to have that end the show on your birthday is really special. ALL MY PHRIENDS ❤❤❤❤

When participating phantasy threads asking what you wish they would cover, "On The Road Again" has been one I've wished for forever. To have that played, again on my birthday, was just such an amazing moment. And to go out with a Tweeprise...ahhhh, my favorite way to leave a show....this band. Oh, this beautiful band that makes us all feel such joy. What a blessing to have them in our lives. Gratitude Tour for LYPHE.

This was my favorite show of the three nights. The first sets were my favorite each night, and this was the strongest one of those. Buried Alive was a real treat. AC/DC Bag > Wolfman's was absolutely sick. Yarmouth is quickly becoming a song I want to hear. Fee was the #1 song I wanted to hear over the weekend, so I got my wish here. The Wedge was funky as hell. Then the heat: Halley's > Gin. That was so much damn fun and Trey fired on all cylinders...the whole band really...phenomenal Gin. Might not see another one like that again. Then, Bouncing was my wife's #1 she wanted to hear, so BOOM, there it is. Mound is always fun, good solid version here. Gumbo was a surprise > a KILLER antelope ender. My favorite set of the run.

Set 2 was still great, especially the Chalkdust jam. 46 Days > Steam > Free was lots of fun and the Willie encore was just a ball.

I had great fun last night, much like the night before. My son and I were close to our spot from the night before, and the sound was beautiiful (about 40 feet from the stage, between Trey and Mike). It was noticeably louder than Night 1, but still not too loud.

As some others have noted, it was a little more uneven than Friday's show. I love Buried Alive, which I actually thought they were going to open with Night 1, but it came tonight instead - much appreciated. AC/DC was standard (meaning well-done) and Wolfman's was tight and rocked nicely. Mike's new song Yarmouth Road was next, and it has yet to grow on me. Same with Number Line for that matter (which came later). Fee>Halfway to the Moon, The Wedge was a strong trio. Haley's was its usual fun self, followed by a good Gin. Not the best, not the worst, and I song I really love, so I'm always glad to hear it. Mound, Gumbo was solid, and Antelope reached its usual frenzied heights and was a good set closer.

Chalkdust was a good one, though it being unfinished was kinda weird. Light followed, with (as someone else noted) a 50 ways to leave your lover quote. It was brief, but noticeable. I think another reviewer mentioned that Light through Number Line seemed a little hurried. I agree. Not that it was bad, there were some really nice moments within that span, and to be honest, just having the privilege of being out there with fans of like mind and a band enjoying themselves for our sake (as well as their own) is something to be thankful for. On the Road Again, Tweeprise was a nice encore, and appropriate. I look forward to the last show tonight, before my own personal break until Halloween.

Oh, and I would be remiss not to give another shout out to the crew we were hanging with the night before. Unbeknownst to us, they turned out to be about 5 feet behind us though we came in at different times. It was nice to see you guys again, and hope to tonight as well! Until tomorrow ...

I definitely agree about the 50 Ways tease from Fishman. He clearly plays the beat from that song for about 4 measures, then kind of mutates/varies it afterward. The beat is too distinct for it to be considered a coincidence.

Other people wrote that Trey joins in with him on it - I didn't really hear that, though.

Theme from Denver:
I have to agree with much of this especially Chalkdusted!!!! I too felt they may swing back full circle on it, take it into the hood finish?, but all smiles still!!! Nice jamming!!!
I did not read all the reviews, but did not see any notes on the "Theme" teases throughout the night. Can't give you specifics now but they teased at least three times?!? 100% anyone????
Later
MMB

That 50 Ways tease was undeniable and I was just grinding my teeth when it didn't actually coalesce into an actual cover.

You Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
*You don't need to be quick, Dick*
Just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself FREE!

First set didn't have the flow I expected after a great Buried Alive energizing opener! Disjointed... but of course bright spots. Kuroda is as you all know an incredible talent on lights, and he keeps besting himself.

I am not a fan of Yarmouth Road ... yet (I saw it in Toronto this summer and it brought my energy down at a key moment, which didn't help), but I LOVED the Chalkdust + jam, and the Antelope smoked as usual.

On The Road Again was lovely, but I'd love Fish to say/sing something tonight to make up for his radio-silence.

My friend kept remarking on how Fish sounds a hell of a lot like The Police's Stewart Copeland during sond of the more intense syncopated jams lately. Enjoyed the show a lot and am waiting excitedly for tonight's #CouchTour installment.

That 50 Ways tease was undeniable and I was just grinding my teeth when it didn't actually coalesce into an actual cover.

You Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
*You don't need to be quick, Dick*
Just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself FREE!

First set didn't have the flow I expected after a great Buried Alive energizing opener! Disjointed... but of course bright spots. Kuroda is as you all know an incredible talent on lights, and he keeps besting himself.

I am not a fan of Yarmouth Road ... yet (I saw it in Toronto this summer and it brought my energy down at a key moment, which didn't help), but I LOVED the Chalkdust + jam, and the Antelope smoked as usual.

On The Road Again was lovely, but I'd love Fish to say/sing something tonight to make up for his radio-silence.

My friend kept remarking on how Fish sounds a hell of a lot like The Police's Stewart Copeland during sond of the more intense syncopated jams lately. Enjoyed the show a lot and am waiting excitedly for tonight's #CouchTour installment.

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